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The wait is almost over! It has been four years since viewers have been able to watch the world’s greatest athletes compete against each other to bring home the gold medal to their country. This year’s Winter Olympics begins on Saturday, February 8, 2014 with; cross-country, biathlon, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and speed skating. That is not all the events that the winter Olympics has to offer though! We as viewers get two full weeks of watching our favorite athletes from all over the world compete and make our country proud!

The Olympics was originally created to honor the Gods. Fast forwarding to this day in age, the Olympics is a way in which countries can compete without having wars. The Olympics is designed to encourage international community and cooperation. It gives talented athletes a chance to compete against the best in the world. It represents unity and friendship. Not to mention, it gives the hard-working, dedicated athletes a chance to bring pride and glory back to their home country.

Ever since 1896 when the United States sent Thomas Burke to represent our country and ended up taking first place in both the 100 meter and the 400 meter, we have sure been a nation to watch. Our country has sent some real talented athletes to the Olympics that have made us proud. In 2006, Shani Davis became the first black athlete, from any nation, to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic winter games. To top that off, in 2010, Davis became the first man to successfully defend the 1000 meter gold medal. As far as the winter Olympics go, the United States has the second most overall medals, closely trailing Norway. In fact, the United States is the only country to have won at least one gold medal at every winter Olympic, winning 253 medals over the years. The most decorated Olympian of any nation being, Michael Phelps, who has racked up 22 Olympic medals, 18 of those being gold medals.

On a more serious note, this year’s winter Olympics have caused a great deal of concern for many countries nationwide. That concern being the safety of the athletes and all the tourists that travel to attend the Olympics. It is no secret that the world is at war, but should the threats of terrorist groups prevent Americans from participating in the Olympics? Some United States lawmakers and national security analyst have come out and openly said that the Olympics are “not safe”. The United States military has been working closely with Russia, or at least as much as Russia will allow. In the event that something were to happen, Moscow would have to ask for assistance before the United States could intervene, unless it is a major terrorist attack and we need to get Americans out. These athletes have trained their entire lives to be able to compete in the Olympics and now they have the added stress of their safety being at risk.

Here at Sharn Enterprises, we say remember why the Olympics was put together in the first place, as a nonviolent way for countries to compete for pride and honor. Sharn Enterprises would like to wish all the United States athletes good luck and hopes for a safe return home with more gold medals to add to our collection.

For more information about our products and services, please visit our website at

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When new customers come to Sharn Enterprises for help with planning their new product “roll out”, they often ask the same questions. Listed below are the five most common questions that we are asked, along with the answers.

1. Do you stock this?

While we do stock some generic types of displays, our main focus is in providing a custom-made point of purchase display specifically made and branded for you, your product, and your ultimate customer. Space utilization (ROI) and the visual brand impact is what separate you from your competitors, and get your products sold.

2. May I have a sample?

Yes, no problem. First, we would like to offer you a CAD 2D spec drawing to make sure we are including all of the details necessary to make you a perfect sample. A drawing usually can be created the same or next day.

3. How long will it take?

A sample based on the cad drawing, usually takes 7 to 10 working days depending on the actual finished design and the availability of the raw materials. Actual order production time usually varies between 4 and 8 weeks largely depending on the size of the order.

4. How much does it cost?

There is usually no charge for our Design drawings and the prototypes are nominally priced, just enough to cover the costs of some materials we had to buy. The price for your “Custom made display” will vary depending on the materials and labor costs involved. Since we are a Made in the USA Midwest supplier, our costs, our minimums, and our freight expense are usually much less expensive than our nearest competitors.

5. Can you help me reduce the cost?

We realize that often you are almost giving away the display as part of your overall program with your customer, so then our answer to you is an emphatic “Yes we can.” That’s the whole point of a custom-made display. Not only is it made to fit your specific product but it is also made to fit your specific budget. After we learn about your product, program, and what you’re trying to accomplish, we can suggest exactly the right Design and materials that you will need to get the job done and still hold down the price.

To learn more about our Company, its products and services, please visit our website at www.sharndisplays.com

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A couple of years ago, I called on a prospective customer in Ohio. This was not a “cold call” We had an appointment and she knew we were coming. Within the first two minutes of our conversation, she made it perfectly clear that our possible new relationship had everything to do with price, and nothing else mattered. She asked us “what exactly are you going to do for me?”

We spent another 30 minutes or so discussing upcoming projects, but we never went back or called her again!

“No, it’s also about relationships”

The reason we didn’t call back is that we just don’t do business that way. Sharn Enterprises has been in business for over 38 years now, and one of the reasons we have been successful is that our customers do keep coming back year after year! Your retail environment is constantly changing, and your products and our designs have to change with it. That’s why it’s important to have a synergistic relationship between both the vendor and the customer. We are always concerned about your budget, and often Sharn is the lowest price vendor, but sometimes we are not. However our customers keep coming back to us because we consistently offer them the best overall value for their dollar.

We offer them the “ideal” situation; that is the best designed, best quality manufactured Point of Purchase display available in their particular price range.

We offer them a “fair” deal, design assistance, free warehousing for up to two months, and comfortable credit terms that fit their particular current situation.

Finally, we offer them confidence. Confidence in American design, manufacturing, and customer service. Confidence that their particular project will be completed as promised and on time.

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Do your suppliers take you for granted? Is it a chore for them to call you back? Does it take days for them to respond to your E-mails?

If that’s the position you find yourself in, then you should tell that vendor, “You’re fired!” They have become too comfortable with you, which has led them to take advantage of you and your business. Now, you are left searching for answers. Aretha Franklin has the answer: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”. That is what you need and that is what you will get when doing business with Sharn Enterprises! With that being said, if your current Point of Purchase display supplier is out of ideas, and you are having service problems, then come connect with us here at Sharn Enterprises. Upon doing so, you will receive new product ideas, great service, and the RESPECT that you and your business deserves!

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“Made in America” A slogan once proudly proclaimed by U.S. Manufacturers is now making a comeback. One reason for this increase in popularity is the growing preference for business’s to bring back manufacturing to the United States; where your production can be closer to key suppliers, product designers, quality control, and of course the ultimate customer, who’s expectation for faster time to market continues to grow.

This “Made in America” strategy offers American companies many economical and logistical advantages. For example, United States unemployment is relieving pressure on factory owners to increase wages, which helps to make United States labor costs more competitive. Falling energy costs here play a role as well. Our inexpensive natural gas abundance helps keep prices down and powers our factories more efficiently.

Overseas shipping costs continue to rise, while quality control and protection of intellectual property can be harder to maintain when manufacturing overseas. As the costs of doing business in China and other countries increases many United States companies are once again looking to “Near Shoring” their manufacturing and turning to American companies, like Sharn Enterprises, to help them reduce their lead times and overall costs, while at the same time maintaining their strict quality and service standards.

As Sharn’s customer, we will help you reduce your overall costs. Don’t order more than you need, just to fill a container. Do not be concerned if your order is not large, here at Sharn, we also accept smaller orders. We offer regular credit terms, so you don’t have to pay for all of your products prior to them shipping from a foreign country.

At Sharn, you can speak locally to us, not to some machine, or a call center overseas. Our lead time is much quicker, our American quality makes it better, and your shipping costs will be much lower!

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Think about the last time you were out to eat at a restaurant, stopped at a gas pump, or walking through a shopping mall. Ever pay attention to all the music and videos going on around you? This is a major issue that many restaurant owners and retailers are dealing with today. Is the music and video advertisement being played beneficial to the establishment or more harmful than anything? It really boils down to the individual consumer.

In my personal opinion, the music and video do not bother me as long as it is kept within reason. I am sure that I can speak for everyone, or most everyone, that when you are out dining at a restaurant, your main focus is the person or people you are with. If the restaurant has their music blaring, it may be hard for you to fully converse with the people around you. If a restaurant does have their music up too loud, then this could in turn cause the customer to not want to dine at that restaurant anymore. Also, with “word of mouth” being so dominant in today’s society, this could cause for negative reviews for the restaurant. Yes, if music is playing, the restaurant just needs to make sure that the music is kept at a reasonable level and keep the music variety appealing to all ages and ethnicities.

When it comes to the shopping experience, it gets a little trickier. I have personally been passed stores in the mall that have their music at an outrageous level, which causes me to not even want to walk into the store. This has me to believe that the store is targeting a younger consumer range. Now, I am a younger person, imagine an older person doing some holiday shopping. That store has the potential of getting an older age group to come shop at their store, but the music may send them away. Then there are department stores that try to appeal to all age groups by playing different music in each department. I personally find this to be more distracting than anything else. When you are walking down the aisle, you can hear multiple songs playing at the same time and it takes away from my concentration on shopping. On the other side, the right music, can in fact boost the shopper’s mood and make for a more pleasant shopping experience. When used effectively this can draw in the customer and make them want to shop in the store even longer.

We are also starting to see video advertisements being played at the gas pump. Personally, I find these to be distracting. When I am pumping gas, I pay attention to how much money I am putting into my car, with these advertisements, I become distracted and I end up spending more money than I had intended. This is good for the gas station, but bad for me and now I’m less like to go back to that gas station. However, if the video is showing weather conditions, this could be beneficial for the consumer, making them aware of what potential conditions they may endure on their travel.

Here at Sharn Enterprises, Inc., we can equip your merchandise display with both audio and video, but highly encourage each of our customers to not only consider the positive impact, but also the potential negative impact of video or music, as well.